1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to exercise equipment. More specifically, this invention relates to exercise equipment for the abdominal muscles that allows the abdominal muscles to be more specifically isolated while not adding undo strain on the back.
2. Background Information
Throughout the years, many doctors, athletes and physical therapists have tried to create machines and exercises to develop and maintain the abdominal muscles. Traditionally, the best exercise for the abdomen is said to be the sit-up. However, we have since learned that the sit-up does not necessarily work the abdomen and that the situp may cause other injuries.
Over the years, doctors and therapists have learned that the traditional sit-up puts unnecessary strain on the back and actually works the hip flexor muscles. Many have tried to develop alternative sit-up like exercises to tone the abdominal muscles like the crunch, curl, rocky""s, elevated and v-ups.
Others have tried to develop exercise equipment to minimize the problems associated with the sit-up. These abdominal exercise machines include the ABROLLER, the ABFLEX, the ABDOER and the ABDOMENIZER. These pieces of equipment are designed and sold for home use. Additionally, if these pieces of equipment are used improperly, the user may put unnecessary strain on his back and risk serious injury. Additionally, these machines are not able to work all of the upper abdominal muscles, the lower abdominal muscles, the obliques, and the lower back muscles.
While there have been many different types of abdominal exercises and exercising devices in the field, a number of such devices produce results which do not necessarily strengthen the abdominal muscles but strengthen the hip and thigh muscles which attach to the lumbar spine area and to the rear of the pelvis and hip bones. When such muscles contract not only does the rectus muscle of the abdomen work with little effort but the other muscles rotate the pelvis forward thus creating the occurrence of increased lower back pain which contributes to poor mechanical alignment and undesirable upright posture of the exerciser. Normally, in the performance of conventional sit-up exercises, the feet are projected horizontally or locked under a stationary object to obtain desired leverage. The stronger leg muscles substitute for the abdominal muscles which are not more positively strengthened by the sit-up type exercise. It is preferred that the legs be in a bent position during the sit-up exercise rather than projecting horizontally in locked position.
Recently, doctors, trainers and companies have recognized some of the shortcomings of the traditional exercises and exercise equipment. One of the responses is the exercise ball. The exercise ball is typically made of a resilient material that can be inflated into a deformable sphere. The inflated sphere can vary in size from about two feet in diameter to about five feet in diameter.
The exercise ball allows a person to do abdominal exercises while minimizing the strain on the back. Currently, the ball is often prescribed as physical therapy after back surgery because it is very effective at helping to strengthen the muscles around the midsection. Although the exercise ball alleviates some of the problems with back strain, it is not practical for the serious exerciser. One of the problems with the exercise ball is that it requires a lot of balance on the part of the exerciser because the ball is inherently unstable. Because of its instability, the exerciser focuses his energy on balancing himself atop the exercise ball rather than focusing on the exercise. As such, the exercise ball has been relegated to a physical therapy role and home use role.
The exercise ball has several risks associated with it. As mentioned above, the ball is inherently unstable. There are some risks associated with using the exercise ball because of its instability. Additionally, the ball is subject to catastrophic failure. The balls currently used sometimes rupture and immediately deflate. If someone is atop an exercise ball, whether an athlete or a post-operation patient, when a catastrophic failure occurs, typically the exerciser will crash to the floor at least shaken and hopefully uninjured. The sudden deflation of the exercise ball causes the exerciser to drop a distance equal to the diameter of the ball and without any resistance given by the ball could very easily injure his tailbone, lower back area, or neck.
A need therefore exists for an improved abdominal exercise device that overcomes the aforementioned problems.
The present invention overcomes the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art and provides an improved piece of abdominal exercise equipment.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a piece of exercise equipment that works the abdominal muscles.
It is another object of this invention to provide an exercise device that is suitable for physical therapy as well as gym use.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a multi-exercise piece of equipment.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a piece of abdominal exercise equipment that alleviates strain on the lower back by supporting the exerciser but allows some give while the exercise is performed.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a piece of exercise equipment whereby the exerciser has a lower risk of catastrophic equipment failure.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a resilient deformable seat or object attached to a frame assembly whereby the structure has handholds or footholds or both to help an exerciser stabilize himself while getting on and off the exercise device and while performing the exercise.
Another embodiment of the invention is an abdominal exercise device having a plurality of interconnected frame members. The frame members form the frame assembly. A deformable seat, preferably an exercise ball or an inflatable chair, is supported by the frame assembly in a predetermined position to the frame assembly. The frame assembly also has frame members that form footholds. The footholds are positioned at a variety of heights so that an exerciser sitting on the seat assembly may bend his legs to use the footholds. The exercise device may also have a frame member forming an arcuately moveable headrest. Handholds may also be attached to the frame assembly so that an exerciser may stabilize himself during exercise.
In another embodiment of the invention, an exerciser may use a stationary exercise device for doing sit-up type exercises to stress the exerciser""s abdominal muscles. The exercise device has at least one fillable chamber formed from flexible resilient material adapted to contain a fluid medium for comfortably supporting the body of the exerciser. It also has a base that receives and supports the fillable chamber. The base is connected to footholds whereby an exerciser may sit on the fillable chamber and place his feet in the foothold while performing exercises.
In another embodiment of the invention, a catastrophic failure resistant ball is used. The catastrophic resistant ball has an outer shell or outer ball portion. The outer ball portion is made from a flexible puncture resistant material, preferably a high-strength rubber or plastic. The outer ball portion may be shaped into a variety of shapes including a chair or a sphere of a predetermined volume. Inside the outer ball portion is an inner ball portion. The inner ball portion may be made of the same material as the outer ball portion. The inner ball portion may be any three-dimensional shape as long as it fits almost entirely within the outer ball portion. The inner ball portion is fillable through an accessible closable opening or valve. With this design, even if the outer ball portion is punctured, a properly filled inner ball portion will act as a spring-like device, preventing the exerciser from crashing to the ground.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, an exercise ball made from flexible, rupture resistant material is shaped to form a sphere of a predetermined volume capacity when full. There is at least one inner ball portion made from semi-flexible material so that as the weight of the exerciser is placed on the ball at least two interior compartments or chambers are formed within the exercise ball. The inner chambers preferably do not communicate with each other; however, they may as long as the flow of a fluid between the interior compartments is retarded, thus preventing an exerciser from collapsing the ball entirely and contacting the ground when the outer ball portion fails.
Still another embodiment of the invention is an exercise ball having an outer shell made from flexible material. The outer shell may have a variety of shapes including a sphere that holds a predetermined volume capacity when full. The outer ball portion being at least partially filled with a fluid. There is also at least one inner ball portion made from semi-rigid material so that when weight is placed on the exercise ball and the outer ball portion is thereafter at least partially emptied, the weight on the exercise ball is supported by the inner ball portion for a short time, preventing instantaneous collapse of the exercise ball.
Additional object and advantages of the invention are set forth in the detailed description herein, or will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also it should be appreciated that modifications and variations to the specifically illustrated and discussed embodiments and uses of this invention may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, by virtue of present reference thereto. Such variations may include but are not limited to, substitution of equivalent parts, parts with equivalent functions, or multiple pieces so that the device has the same function for those shown or discussed.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.